Merge curves features into PartDesign

[Piero69]

A great idea is to merge curves features into partdesign like in all commercial cad, this to make partdesign a complete parametric workbench. I think you don't have to step dispersedly around workbench to find features. my proposal is to make a curves tool with the main features as:

1) Curve driven by equation (2D or 3D)
2) Helix and Spiral (by specifying a circular sketch, pitch, number of revolutions, and height)
3) Project Curve (from a sketch projected to a model face or surface, or from sketched lines on intersecting planes)
4) Composite Curve (from a combination of curves, sketch geometry, and model edges)
5) Helix and Spiral (by specifying a circular sketch, pitch, number of revolutions, and height)
6) Split Line (from a sketch projected to planar or curved/silhouette faces)
7) Curve Through Reference Points (from user-defined points or existing vertices)
8) Curve Through XYZ Points (imported from external list of X,Y, Z coordinates for points. Usually a txt file)

You can then use the curves to create solid model features (as the path or guide curve for a sweep or loft feature, as a parting line for a draft feature, and so on.

what do you think?

[drmacro]

I think, I simply go to Tools>Customize, select Toolbars and add what I'd like to any toolbar I choose.

New users already complain the toolbars are over populated.

And, experienced users customize them to their needs.

I believe, that is the beauty of extensible software...

[ThanklessLiving]

A great idea is to merge curves features into partdesign like in all commercial cad, this to make partdesign a complete parametric workbench. I think you don't have to step dispersedly around workbench to find features. my proposal is to make a curves tool with the main features as ...

In default Solid Edge the curve and surface tools are in a separate tab from the basic features, so this example is kind of similar to freecad where you need to change tab/workbench to access these commands.

What I would see as an inconvenience is having all these extra commands (that the user might never even use) cluttering the interface.

And also, just because commercial xyz CAD does something in a certain way, doesn't mean that that way is the best option. Quite often I get the feeling that these CAD and CAM softwares have 30-40 years of baggage in the form of customers and their ancient practices and files holding them back from innovation, and that's not something that's enticing to copy...